Shrunk, Chapter 6
by GrowingThunder99
Summary: This is the 6th chapter of the my story Shrunk. Full of funny moments, an most likely mentally cared Turks. To find out, read. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please Review.!


**Hey everyone! Sorry for the REALLY long wait, I know 6 months right? ridiculous. Main reason for my long absents in the fan fiction world is because, the mayor in the stupid little town I'm stuck living in right now decided to shut down all the wireless internet, (my house doesn't have internet. A pain, I know. =/) Well anyway, on with the story! I DO NOT LAY CLAIM TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE EFFORT PUT INTO THINKING UP THIS STORY AND WRITING IT! (AND ONCE AGAIN I APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THIS CHAPTER FOR TAKING SO LONG TO POST.) But anyway, I'll shut up now. So HERE WE GO...!**

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6. Look Out

_There was darkness all around him with a numbing chill to bite at his exposed cheeks and a horrifying smell of old Chinese food, bad lemons and stale pasta to make itself at home in his sinuses. Cold glass clinked together lightly as he carefully manoeuvred them out of his way._

_He was lost. _

_Having lost all sense of direction the moment the light had gone out. He had been wandering aimlessly for what felt like an eternity, with nothing to see by except for the faint mako glow from his eyes. His breathing was becoming laboured, lack of oxygen had nothing to do with it, the place was huge so there was plenty, but the fatigue, cold, dimming senses, and swiftly losing all hope of ever being found was quickly getting the better of him._

"_So cold, I hope Genesis figures it out fast and finds me." Angeal muttered through chattering teeth, rubbing his frozen hands together in an attempt to warm them. "Don't know why I'm so eager to be found, specially since he's only going to stick me in a Hamster ball when he does. But, a little humiliation has got to be better than slowly freezing to death, all alone." _

_His aimless wanderings came to an abrupt halt as he walked into a wall. He couldn't tell if it was the far back, one of the side walls, or the door, but he hoped it was the door._

_He knew it wasn't the best thing to do, hey, it wasn't even smart. And he knew it wasn't because in every survival course that he had ever taken, they were always adamant that you NEVER sit down if you are in a freezing climate and you are out of energy._

_But he was too tired and hopeless to care. Nestling down in the corner, Angeal shivered._

_*Phoosh* A blinding light._

_So it was the door._

_He landed on the tiled kitchen floor with a plop, too numb to feel it and too blacked out to care._

_Genesis stared down in horror._

_There laying flopped across his toes was the newest frosted addition to the SOLDIER's snack bar. _

"_ANGEAL!"_

There had been a wild flurry of action to which Angeal was completely oblivious. And when he revived, he was completely warm, comfortable, and being stared at by four pairs of eyes, one set larger than the rest.

Eventually, after a rather extended lecture about stupid ideas and safety from Genesis, everything went back to normal, aside from being secretly stared at to make certain he was still alive, they weren't being very subtle about it either.

But in the end, once everyone was positive that he was back on top of his game again, he was effectively plopped on top of Zack's head in the ball were he was sentenced to spend the rest of the evening as punishment for being so much trouble.

The day had been rather uneventful, and became rather slow after all the excitement. Immediately after supper, everyone bunked down for the night. Full, content, happy, and relieved everyone was alright, with no care for what tomorrow held for them.

...

Early morning sunlight beamed through the window upon his face, bathing it in a crisp warmth as it slowly pulled him from his slumbers. Laying comfortably in his bed, mind fuzzy, and content as he stretched the night's stiffness from his shoulders. It was the perfect wake up... unfortunately, it was doomed to end.

Glancing at the memo on his beside table, Genesis cursed audibly as he lunged from under the covers. He'd forgotten to feed Sephiroth's cat!

Charging into the living room like an enraged bull, lunged over the sofa and scrambled for the phone, doing his absolute best in his panicky state to not send it crashing to the floor, Genesis continued to swear up a storm; not something that he was apt to do because he considered it a filthy habit and uncivilized. A moment later, the order was placed, and he hung up, relief flowing thick through his veins at the avoided disaster.

If Sephiroth found out he'd neglected to feed the prize pet Snuggles, he would be dead when they returned to normal.

Glancing over to the still sleeping forms on the sofa next to him, released the breath of air he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

Cloud lay snuggled against Zack's side, making soft snuffling sounds like a comfortable hedgehog while Zack's arm draped over the smaller boys shoulders protectively.

Angeal was curled up in a Christmas stocking sporting candy-cane stripes beside Sephiroth's identical bedding. Angeal snored audibly while Sephiroth's nose twitched like a rabbit's as he unconsciously maintained a death grip on Masamune.

He'd been clomping and thundering around the room and they didn't even stir? Genesis found himself momentarily bemused. _How was that even possible?_ Deciding not to contemplate it, moved to the kitchen where he began making breakfast.

Zack woke to the smell of cooking. And not just any cooking, it was Genesis' famous early morning bacon and scrambled eggs cooking. Glancing down at the wiggling bundle latched to his side, flushed, realizing how this might look to the others. Turning his sky blue eyes to the other occupants of the couch, sighed grateful to find them still asleep. Not that he really cared if that's what they thought... okay, lie. He did care. One he did _not_ like the idea of the whole thing, two he didn't want to get 'the talk' which Angeal would certainly dump on him, and three Sephiroth would never let him live it down.

Carefully inching his way out of Cloud's clingy grasp, made a mental note to bed down _farther away_ from the blond next time. Though truthfully, he doubted it would make much of a difference. Cloud had a terrible habit of being drawn to heat like a magnet to metal.

Placing the food on a plate, moved to the living room to wake the four– three midgets. "Morning... Angeal! Sephiroth! If you two don't get up I'll give your portions of breakfast to those bottomless pits Zack and Cloud!" Genesis hissed when the two failed to respond.

The word 'breakfast' must have been pure magic, because as soon as it was said the two bounded to life, Angeal apologizing about his tardiness while Sephiroth came out of his slumbers with a perfectly thought out string of protests and threats.

Gazing icily down his nose at them, Genesis scooped them up and unceremoniously dumped them in a neat pile on the kitchen table.

Sephiroth cursed as he extracted himself from the tangle of limbs; like fighting out of a failed attempt to play twister, the more lucid part of him, the one that was not cursing his companions with every degrading expletive under the sky, noted absently. _And why did it remind him of twister?_ Because it had happened before, an escapade that had occurred after _maybe_ three or _eight_ too many drinks had been consumed during his academic days. Genesis and Angeal had been his companions on _that_ one, Tseng of the Turks too, while Reeve, although he had adamantly refused to join in he did get the pleasure of laughing his butt off on the sidelines, and getting quite a few photos of them in compromising positions as blackmail, _of course. _But that was a story for another day, and not one he would _ever_ be telling while sober. And since he was a 1st Class SOLDIER enhanced with the mako, which naturally negated all affects of alcohol, meant no one would _ever_ get it out of him. Mores the pity, as it turns out, Sephiroth happens to be a _very_ good storyteller.

The scrambled egg and bacon was delicious, there was no way any of them could deny it and as they busily chewed on the succulent morsels they could not help but develop an even greater appreciation for Genesis' natural talent in the kitchen.

A swift rapping on the door interrupted the meal and a moment later, Genesis swept through the room.

The mini's finished their meal in no particular hurry; their food wasn't going anywhere and whoever was at the door obviously wasn't there for them.

A moment later after a lot of thumping, a cranky "Meow!" emanated from Genesis's arms as he entered the kitchen.

Sephiroth perked up at the sound. "Snuggles!"

Zack and Cloud stared in apparent shock before irrupting into hysterical laughter. Angeal grinned helplessly down at his meal, his shoulders shaking with the effort to remain silent. _That would never get old._

The cat yowled from his perch above them as Genesis came to stand close to the table, swelling to twice its original size, much to everyone's alarm.

"Um, Sephiroth? Your Snuggles doesn't look all that snuggily." Zack gasped with difficulty.

"Nonsense!" Sephiroth exclaimed in his pets defence.

"No, I mean it. He's eyeing us like we're mice or something. It's giving me the creeps."

"How dare you!" Sephiroth leaped to his feet, clearly offended, causing Zack to cower with his hands raised in front of him in a surrendering position.

Angeal and Cloud had to admit, Zack was right. That cat was definitely eyeing them up for a meal. But before they could come to Zack's aid, a hiss and yowl irrupted from above them, freezing them all in their tracks.

Sephiroth whirled on the spot to gaze up at his beloved pet. "Snuggles?" concern and worry lacing his words. "What's wrong Snuggles? Are you uncomfortable up there? Would you like a treat...?"

"Don't say it! Don't say it!" the other three begged from behind him before they were drowned out.

"_MEEEEOWWW!_" Snuggles projected with surprising force before irrupted like lava from a volcano from Genesis' hold. Claws extended.

Genesis cried his displeasure as his rather large and furry charge escaped him.

"_Look out!_"

"Wait! Snuggles! It's Daddy! It's Daddy! _AAAAAHHH!_" Sephiroth squealed, as the large russian-blue used its tremendous bulk to its advantage and sailed through the air to land in the center of the table with an incredible accuracy, the four mini's scrambling madly out of the way, and threw themselves one by one off the table top like the young ducklings leaving their home high in the tree to fall, baby soft fuzzy wings flapping, to the deep, crunchy autumn leaf bed at the base in their first taste of flight.

Genesis screeched in horror as he watched his still half eaten breakfast sail in an arc through the air straight for the open window, utensils, plate and all.

Grappling hurriedly with each other in their disorganized attempt of escape, an agonized squeal wrenched through the air as a powerful knee accidentally connected with Zack in places that shall remain unmentioned.

The squeal was their giveaway. Snuggles, who had been busily inspecting the mess of food across the table as it fought to its feet, doubled it's efforts, and in an amazingly short time was glowering down at them.

Angeal was the first to break free as he hauled a still whimpering Zack to his feet behind him. Cloud clung to Sephiroth's back like a baby chimp, and despite his best attempts given the circumstances, Sephiroth could not rid himself of the vise constricting his airflow, giving up, Sephiroth righted his legs beneath him and scrambled after his comrades, Cloud all the while playing piggy-back.

Lose the battle, win the war.

And not too soon either, the floor reverberated with the impact as Snuggles pounced.

As soon as Sephiroth scrambled under the couch, joining the others, he began batting at the arms that were now threatening to damage his windpipe. "Get. Off. Of. Me!"

Angeal and Zack frantically shushed him as they cowered in the dark. Cloud whimpered into the General's pink hair.

"Nuooo..."

"Argh!" Sephiroth thrashed wildly only to freeze as a rumbling yowl irrupted behind him on the other side of the thin cloth wall.

A blast of light momentarily blinded them as a clawed black paw swiped in towards them; just missing Cloud.

Yelping in fright, Cloud abruptly released his hold and scrambled on all fours towards Zack and Angeal.

A wise man once said, "there is a time in every man's life when he must say, enough." and this was that time for Sephiroth.

Turning to face the still fluttering fabric barrier, squared his shoulders, raised his head, and strode to the edge of the darkness, flipped the cloth up and bounded out, arms outstretched, exposing his chest for the descending claws, and barked in his best manly voice possible, considering that everything that he had said so far had been drowning in the realm of squeak. "SNUGGLES! ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!"

The wicked black claws halted an inch from his face, (to Sephiroth it looked like a foot though) as the once predatory glittering eyes widened in recognition, and an inquisitive "meow?" rumbled between it's furry lips.

Stepping forward confidently, petted the damp pink nose before him. Immediately a thunderous purr emenated from the cat's chest, while Sephiroth coed over his precious, practically glowing with satisfaction. "Yes Snuggles, it's Daddy. Did you get excited? Thought we were mice didn't you? Don't worry Snuggles, once I return to normal, we'll go back home and I'll get you a brand new mouse for your favorite toy, alright?"

"Meow."

At the sound of the quiet murmuring, Angeal, Zack, and Cloud cautiously excited their hideout, what met their eyes astounded them.

The giant russian-blue cat Snuggles, was striding past them as though he owned the place, and sitting high upon his shoulders, was Sephiroth, head held high and proud as ever, like a sultan upon his elephant.

Collecting himself with difficulty, Angeal exclaimed as he remembered something. "Did you say you were going to buy him a new _mouse toy_?"

"Yes." was the lofty reply above them.

"Don't _reward_ him for_ that_!" all three yelled forcefully in exasperation.

"Oh shut up. We do what we want."

All of this had happened in a matter of minutes, and Genesis had missed every second of it. For he _still_ stood, mouth gaping and eyes round, staring at the open window, where he had watched his meal and dishes sail right through and fall to their doom.

...

It was the oddest thing to see for the other occupants of the Turk floor.

Katana, Rude, a whimpering Reeve, and their oh so great leader Tseng, hanging out their separate windows, butts in the air and binoculars glued to their eyes.

"Men, report." Tseng commanded.

"Staircase is clear, sir." Katana replied.

"Parking lot, clear." Rude responded dutifully.

"..."

"Reeve, what is your status? Do you see anything?" Tseng hissed, apprehension burning his mind.

"..."

"Reeve? Did you see something? Reeve? REEVE! - He _fainted_!_** SOMEONE GRAB HIM BEFORE HE FALLS!**_"

Katana threw himself onto the dead weight body nearly slipping out the window. While Rude held onto Reeve's ankles, his feet braced back on the window sill as he helped Katana haul the Chief Engineer back to safety.

"Katana! Get the smelling salts. I want that Engineer back on his feet immediately!" Tseng bellowed, grasping the handle of his gun.

"Yes, sir!"

Carefully manipulating Reeve's unconscious form into a sitting position against the wall, Rude did _not_ scowl behind his shades as he straightened his suit. It was only for a second, so he couldn't be sure, but... he could have _sworn_ he heard Reno giggling. But that was impossible, Reno was stuck in a ventilation shaft somewhere. Pushing it from his mind, Rude refocused his attention upon his surroundings.

"Here are the smelling salts, sir!" Katana crowed as he bounded into the room.

"Good, get working!" Tseng growled taking a step away.

Reeve woke with a sneeze, the smell that was currently taking up residence in his sinuses was terrible. Immediately, like a predator upon its wounded prey, Tseng loomed over him, his voice barely above a whisper. "Reeve, what did you see."

"See? I-I saw a person i-in a trench coat, an-and I, I don't know." the Engineer stammered gripping his head in his hands.

_*Hahaheehehe...!*_

Rude stiffened, _there is was__** again!**_ Jerking to the left, the bald man scanned his surroundings with the critical eye of one well accustomed to spotting mischief caused by a particular redhead. Nothing.

_*Kehaheehehe*_

_It came from the right!_

Rude whirled towards the sound, still nothing. _Nothing. At. **All!**_ The entire place was exactly as it should be, trouble free. And yet he could _still_ here Reno. The wretched giggling had morphed into evil cackles. Rude, after having lived and worked with the redhaired _menace_ for nearly _four years_ had become adept at picking Reno out of a crowd. His eyes were trained to see the redhead and the telltale signs of his travels. His nose was trained to detect his horrid cologne even in the sweatiest of gyms! And his ears, his ears could _hear_ Reno, no matter the other noise levels around him. And so it was now, that Rude's ears _burned._ His Turk senses were tingling, something was going to happen, and it probably _wasn't_ going to be good.

_*Rude.._.*Reno's voice whispered. *R_ude..._* The voice had turned silky, almost crooning. *_Can you hear me...?*_

Rude flinched.

_*Rude...*_ Again. *_Can you hear me? Rude... Rude..* _"**Rude!**"

Rude winced, then proceeded to mentally curse himself as he hurriedly refocused on his companions. Katana gave him a funny look.

"Rude, are you alright?"

"Yes." Rude adjusted his tie self-consciously.

"Are you sure? You look rather frazzled." the well meaning Turk pressed on, completely oblivious to the bald man's jumbled thoughts.

"Yes."

"Alright. I called you nine times back there you know, and you didn't even twitch." Katana continued to look at him suspiciously as though expecting him to suddenly tear his shirt off and do a Tarzan imitation on the desk tops.

"I apologize for my lack of attentiveness. It was not my intention to concern you." Rude grunted as he took up his station at the window again.

_*That was interesting, yo.*_

Grinding his teeth in irritation, Rude peered through the binoculars.

_*Y'know, I've always liked the view from that window.*_

Resolutely ignoring the phantom voice of his partner, he grunted a negative at Tseng's "men, report." command. The parking lot was packed with cars, it_ was_ a busy day in the ShinRa Electric Power Company after all.

*It's always fasinating watching all those people milling about as small as ants. You can learn a lot.*

Rude grunted in surprise as a shriek pierced the air somewhere to his left, followed by an "_I see HIM! I __**see**__**HIM!**_" growing more frantic by the syllable. Call it Reeve.

The man flapped his arms as he leapt to his feet.

"Where?!" Tseng growled as he tightened his grip on the panicked Engineer's left bicep. "Where were you looking?"

"Th-there...!" Reeve pointed miserably.

Tseng looked in the direction he was pointed in. Nothing. Nearly snarling in irritation, Tseng released his death grip on the poor binoculars with some difficulty. '_why that flighty, tree-hugging, protactor totting, camera happy, good for nothing, useless excuse for an Engineer I call my best friend. Another false alarm. I swear, if he calls just one more, I'm going to add another layer to that shiner of his.'_

The frustrated leader of the Turks growled silently to himself. Quickly counting to ten, Tseng laid a restraining hand on his long time friend's shoulder. "Reeve, calm down, there's no one there. It wasn't HIM."

"_**What?**_ _But I could have sworn–._" Reeve began.

"Yes, I know. But you were mistaken. Now, please calm down. I would rather not have to –."

Rude resisted shaking his head with a sigh, it shouldn't even be possible for a man of Reeve's build to scream like that, let alone reach such an octave.

_*Kehahaheeheehee.!*_

Rude shuddered, Reno's evil cackles were entirely _too_ gleeful.

_*Y'know, if someone had told me it was going to be this hilarious, I would have made some popcorn.*_

"Shut up Reno." Rude grumbled under his breath.

"Did you say something, Rude?" Tseng enquired.

"No, sir."

"Alright. Keep a sharp eye out. We don't want to be caught off guard."

"Yes, sir." Suddenly grateful for his dark skin, if the heat burning his cheeks was to be accounted for, he was no doubt blushing madly.

_*..mphtaheheheheeheeheee...!*_

A rumbling growl tried to escape him, lips thinning to a grim line: DENIED.

_*Rude, have you ever tried a hot chocolate, caramel, maple, butter scotch, sundey?*_

No. No he hadn't. And he never would, that concoction sounded _way_ to sweet.

_*It's really good, yo!*_

Doubt it.

_*Oh! I nearly forgot. See, I get them at that little cafe down on Loveless Bolivard 29th ST. They add a tripple dunk choco-chocolate donut either on the side or they put it on top! Your choice!*_

_**Yuck!**_

_*Hey! Don't turn your nose up until you try it!* _Reno's voice reprimanded indignantly.

How the _******?!**_ Rude froze in shock, Reno had just _read_ his _mind!_

_*Don't act so surprised. Is it so hard to believe that I could be telepathic?*_

_You __**can't**__ be telepathic! That's just impossible!_ Rude could barely stop his croak of horror. All thought processes fizzling into oblivion.

_*You're right, I'm not. Telepathy is impossible. I just wanted to see how you would react, yo.*_

"**Jerk!**" Rude barked, then froze. _Had he just said that out loud?_

"Uh... Rude? Are you sure you're okay? You just called the air a 'jerk'." Katana looked at him narrowly.

The large man lowered his head in shame.

Tseng stared at him in shock, while Reeve gaped openly.

"Rude, tell me why you just said that." Tseng pronounced carefully.

Rude, not in the habit of lying, had no choice but to do just that, he'd just been given an order by a superior officer after all. "I was talking to Reno, sir."

They looked at him as though he had just tried to belch the ABC's.

'Rude. Reno isn't here. He's lost somewhere in the ventilation shafts." Tseng explained slowly.

Rude suppressed a groan. "I know, sir."

"Then why were you 'talking' to him if you already knew he wasn't here?"

"Because I can here him." Rude said, then had to resist doing what Reno called the "face meet palm thing." _Yeah, that just screamed sane._

_***KeHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!***_

The others stared, dumbstruck.

Rude squeezed his eyes shut behind his shades. This was just perfect. Not only was he thoroughly embarrassed but now he looked like a complete **lunatic**! _Humiliation. That's what it was, complete and utter humiliation!_

Katana fainted, Reeve crowed that the 'strain of the mission had caused a mental breakdown.' Tseng placed a hand to Rude's brow, no doubt checking for a fever.

All the while Reno howled with laughter from wherever it was he was hiding.

"No fever." Tseng murmured thoughtfully, retracting his hand.

Rude suppressed a moan of despair. This just kept getting better and better.

...

Snuggles laid down and Genesis watched in horror as the cat began to spread across the floor. Unable to keep himself from tsking, the redhead murmured in apparent disgust. "Seriously Sephiroth, can't you see how much damage you're causing the poor thing?"

Sephiroth made sign language from inside his ball. "It's called love, Genesis."

"Yeah, 'loving' it to _death_." Genesis said with a dubious undertone.

Zack pressed his face against the cool wall of his plastic prison. Bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored. Very bored. Very, very, very, very bor– . "Hey Angeal! Why don't we race Sephiroth and Cloud!" the newly crested SOLDIER First beamed at his cellmate leaning against the far curve.

"Zack, you forget we're in a ball." Angeal sighed miserably as he looked over at his student.

"So..? It could be like a three-legged race Angeal! Have you ever been in one?"

"No, I haven't. And it still wouldn't work. These walls are curved. We'd constantly be sliding into each other." Angeal said with a fond smile at his energetic companion.

"Of course it'll work. All you have to do is run!" Zack whooped. Angeal laughed. _Well, it __**would **__pass the time. And it __**did**__ sound fun._

"Alright, we'll give it a try. But you'll have to let the others–." Angeal cut himself off as he watched Zack bound at the far wall, cracking his head on the surface. Angeal's seditary weight keeping their container from moving. "_Are you alright?!_" Angeal sprang to the young man's side, uncertain of what he could do to help, _he was a SOLDIER darn it, not a medic._

"Yeah, I'm fine... so don't worry about it! Come on! Let's go!" Zack bounded towards the far wall again, this time dragging Angeal with him, seemingly unaffected. "Hey Cloud, Sephiroth! Race you around the couch!"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed to slits. _The game was on!_

The two balls took off around the corner...

Genesis stretched across the couch languidly, _LOVELESS _book held close to his heart.

"Wings stripped away, the end is nigh. Such is... the fate of a monster."


End file.
